Rail-joint.



.No. 657,352. Patented Sept. 4, I900. w. A. MUBELANI].

(No Medial.)

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. MORELAND, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657.352, datedSeptember 4, 1900.

Application filed May 31. 1900. 7 serial No. 18,569. (No modeh) To all whom, it may concern: Be itknown that 1, WILLIAM A. MORELAND, a citizen of the UnitedSt-ates of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of. Alle gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in-: vented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

.This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints, and is particularly adapted for connecting rails of all kinds in a quick, cheap, and substantial manner; and its object is to obtain such a construction and combination of the joint and rail that the juncture may be accurately, quickly, and durably efiected without the aid of nuts, bolts, or screws extending through the web of the rails and the ordinary fishplates. 7

To this end the invention consists of interposing between two rail-sections a joint having formed integral with one side a fish-plate adapted to engage the web of the rails and at its opposite side provided with an ofiset having an opening extending therethrough in which is mounted a fastening fish-plate, the latter being secured to the offset of the joint; further, providing a chair upon which the'rail sections and'joint are mounted, said chair having formed integral therewith a wedge for engagement with the joint, thereby securing the same in position.

With the above and other objects in view theinvention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification, and where in like numerals of reference indicate corre sponding parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of rails, showing my improved joint in position for securing the rails together. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the joint. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the joint. Fig 5 is a perspective view of the fastening fish-plate.

Referring to the drawings by reference-nu- .merals, 1 and 2 indicate a pair of rails mountedupon a chair 3, consisting of a rectangular piece of suitable material provided with a cut-away portion 4 to receive suitable fastening means for securing the same to the ties of a railway-track. Thechair 3 is further provided, upon its upper face centrally of each edge, with a pairof diametrically-opposite wedge-shoulders 5, the function of which will be hereinafter described.

Interposed between one end of each of the rail-sections is my improved joint,whic h consists of a suitable rail-shaped block of any desirable material 6, provided at one side with an integral fish-plate 7, which engages the web of the rail-sections, and at its opposite side with an integral outwardly-extending offset 8, having an apertured lug 9. The

ofiset 8 is formed integral at its top inner edge with one side of the tread portion of the joint and integral at its bottom with the upper face of the base of the joint,thereby forming an opening 10 between the ofiset and Web of the joint. The joint when in position is adapted to be mounted upon the chair and secured between the wedge-shoulders 5. The reference-numeral 11 denotes a fasten"- ing fish-plate which is inserted in the opening 10 and is provided with an outwardlyextending apertured lug or projection 12, which abuts against the apertured lug 9 of the ofiset 8. The fastening fish-plate is secured in position by means of a pin or other desirable fastening means 13, which extends through the apertured lugs 9 12.

My improved joint is set up in the follow ing manner: The chair being secured to the .ties of a railway-track, the joint is mounted thereon between the wedge-shoulders 5,which secure the joint in position. Therails are then brought against the ends of the joint and the fish-plate 11 inserted through the opening 10 until the apertured lugs 9 12 abut, when the fastening-pin is inserted through the apertures, which securely holds thejoint in position. By this construction an accurate and quick joint is effected, the rails kept in horizontal alinement, and the usual 00.11- traction and expansion of the rails permitted, overcoming the use of nuts, bolts, or'screws extending through the web of the rails.

It is thought the many advantages of my improved rail-joint can be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,and it will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without 7 departing from the general spirit of my inshoulders, a fish-plate formed integral with said joint and adapted to engage one side of the web of said rails, a fastening fish-plate extending through said joint and adapted toengage the opposite side of said rails, an apertured lug formed integral with said joint, an apertured lug formed integral with said fastening fish-plate and adapted to engage theapertured lug of the said j oi nt',;and means extending through the said apertured lugs for securing the said fastening fish-plate in position.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with a' railway-chair provided with a-pair of diametrically-opposite wedge-shoulders, of a block interposed between two rails and secured between said wedge-shoulders, a fish plate formed integral with 1 one side of said block and adapted to engage one side of the web of said rails, an offset formed integral with the opposite side of said block in such a manner as to form an opening between the inner face of said offset and the web of said block, a fastening fish-plate mounted in said opening and adapted to engage the other side of the web of said rails, an apertured lug formed integral with said oifset, an apertured lug formed integral with said fastening fish-plate, and means extending through the said lugs for securing the said fastening fish-plate in position. v Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. MORELAND.

Witnesses:

H. O. EVERT, JOHN N OLANDL 

